How to Plan Your Week

College can be hard. Hard classwork. Hard finding time to do that classwork. I am no expert on either subject. However, I have had my fair share of scheduling difficulties, unprioritized to-do lists, and sacrificing time with my friends for doing homework. In this post, I hope to help you figure out how you can best plan your week for optimal productivity. With this comprehensive, step-by-step list, you will improve your productivity.

Keep in mind that this post will focus on how I plan my WEEK. Not my semester. For more information on how I plan my semester, check out my post on the ultimate guide to surviving online college classes.

Now let’s get started.

It may be beneficial to think of your week as a puzzle. Each block of time is a piece that has a place on the page. It is your job to find that place.

The planner that I use is here. It is the best planner I have ever had. It has space at the top for to-do list items. The bottom half is your day planned out with the hours on the left-hand side. It works great for calendar blocking!

1. Block off all my classes

First, I block off all my classes. Yes, even in the 15^th week when I know my schedule like the back of my hand. Yes, even when I have the same class at the same time three days a week. I am the type of person who NEEDS to visualize my schedule. I need to see how the puzzle fits together.

To help me do this, I color code my classes. For example, if I am taking a natural science course, it will be blocked off in green highlighter and homework assignments planned in green pen. If I am taking communications, it will be marked in blue. I stick with these same colors all semester so that I know what to expect and do not confuse myself.

2. Mark due dates

This is so important! I take the due dates from my monthly calendar and transfer them to my week. I also check our grading/task management system (my school uses CANVAS) for other due dates that may have changed or been added. By doing this, I have no surprise quiz on Friday that the entire class knew about except me and that one kid in the back (you know the one).

I have had friends who show up to class ready to learn and are handed an exam. It wasn’t their proudest moment and it won’t be yours. Please write your due dates down.

3. Block off work/internship schedule

If you have a job or internship, make sure you write down your schedule. Nothing sucks more than having a paper due and an evening shift on the same day. Writing your work schedule will help you plan to write your paper earlier in the week.

If it is a “create your own schedule” kind of situation, write down what you want to accomplish that week and create your schedule based on when you want to accomplish those things.

4. Block off club meetings

Another time commitment that is part of the whole college experience is club meetings. Sometimes we dread them. Sometimes we love them. But, we always have to make time for them. Make sure you put them in your calendar!

5. Schedule Meals

This may sound stupid. However, as human beings, WE NEED TO EAT. Especially in environments that constantly require our attention, productivity, and actions. You need to fuel your body! It is easy to say that an essay is more important than school. However, if you prioritize food, I bet that you will find time for both.

Around 4:30, the commons starts buzzing with students saying “I am starving! I haven’t eaten all day!”. This is not healthy. Please plan time to eat. Homework has never stopped me from eating and fueling my body no matter how busy I was.

If necessary, bring dinner to a club meeting. I have done it before and will probably do it again.

6. Schedule homework

Now, it is time to plan when you will do your homework. In this step, I like to write down how long I think each assignment will take. This way, I can realistically plan my time and not feel beaten down and behind later in the week.

Be strategic about this. If you work the same night you have a paper due, plan time to write the paper before. If a project will take four hours, plan to work an hour on it here and there.

I like to write when I will do what in the hourly portion of my planner. This way, I can visualize what my week looks like.

7. Create a to-do list

Now, it is time to create your to-do. This is when you brain dump all of your random to-dos from practicing ukulele to cleaning your dorm. I like to do this on a separate piece of paper. This way, I do not get my planner messy with to-do list items moved everywhere. In the next step, you will actually plan your to-do’s.

8. Prioritize and plan your to-do’s.

After my brain dump, I strategically place where I will put each of the items on my calendar. Yes, I still put this in the hourly portion of my calendar. Gotta keep visualizin’!

9. Plan time with friends

Now that you know what your week looks like, you can plan when you will spend time with your friends. If it is a busy week, plan to get lunch with someone. This way, you are fueling your body and catching up at the same time.

These are just a few things I found beneficial in my own life. If these things work for you, great! If not, let me know what works for you in the comments below! Maybe I can make a blog post about it!

Remember that this is your week, so be realistic with your behaviors and habits. If you know that you don’t get anything done before 10 AM, don’t plan to do work before 10 AM. It is your week and your life, so you create it!

I hope this list helps you! If you have any questions or your own tips, please comment below! For more tips and tricks about college, subscribe below!

-Riley

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